Irrigation project at ‘nose to the grindstone’ phase

By Luke Edwards

Significant milestones for two long-awaited irrigation projects are expected to be hit by the end of the year.

Sean Norman, manager of strategic initiatives with the Niagara Region, said work on the regional irrigation project - really two separate projects with the overall goal of providing enhanced irrigation options to Niagara’s farmers - is continuing. The two projects include an update and upgrade to existing open-channel irrigation systems in Niagara-on-the-Lake, and a brand new system to service farmers in the western portion of Niagara.

Since NOTL has an existing system, upcoming work for that area is further along. Norman said they hope to have some detailed design plans and costing figured out by the end of the year. The work includes converting parts of the open-channel system into a closed system, which should improve efficiency and effectiveness.

“You can move a lot more water, a lot more effectively through pipes,” Norman said.

For West Niagara, however, building from the ground up requires more planning. The first step was simply figuring out where to get the water. The obvious answer is Lake Ontario, but with highways, urban areas and the like, figuring out where exactly has taken some work.

The committee settled on three pumping stations, and with that plan in place it was time to decide how extensive the network would be.

Norman said they settled on Option C, which is the most fulsome network.

Now they’re working on preliminary design, which includes the size and location of pipes. Norman said they hope to have that preliminary design finalized by the end of the year, which he pegged at something like 10 per cent of the overall design and more of a feasibility process.

While there’s plenty of variability in designing these major projects, Norman said there haven’t been any major surprises and they make their way through the work. He credited an engaged and smart farming community for a lot of the progress.

“There’s so much local knowledge,” he said.

Despite a summer that featured far too much rain for many farmers, the irrigation project has continued to be front of mind, said Norman. He said people understand there’s a lot of uncertainty year to year, and being prepared for whatever Mother Nature throws at farmers will be important for future success.

As they continue their work, Norman said they continue to welcome input from the local farming community. They’ll also plan more events to keep farmers up to date.

For more information visit niagararegion.ca/projects/irrigation-initiative. 